The present invention relates in general to a fluid control valve for the control of fluid delivery parameters such as flow rate and temperature. More specifically, the present invention relates to a fluid control valve that is preferably part of a residential faucet for control of the water flow rate and temperature.
Whenever a fluid control valve of the type described herein is designed, it is important to consider the ergonomics of daily use as well as the durability and reliability. Ease of use, including safety, is important. It is also important to control the cost of manufacturing the fluid control valve components and the cost to assemble those components into a functioning valve. The present invention addresses these design items with a number of innovative, structural features as will be described. One of the important structural features of the present invention is briefly described below, as an example of how innovative structural features can improve the ergonomics of daily use.
The fluid control valve according to the present invention includes a control lever that is constructed and arranged for movement about a first axis to adjust the water flow rate as it exits from the nozzle. The control lever is also movable about a second axis, independently of movement about the first axis, to adjust the water temperature.
This construction for the fluid control valve of the present invention results in the control lever having a rectangular motion pattern that is preferably a “square” motion pattern. While other fluid control valves are constructed and arranged to enable the control of the water flow rate and the water temperature, often these other designs do not have two degrees of freedom that are independent of each other. Designs where the control lever returns to a neutral temperature position at the flow shut off position do not permit any type of temperature position memory.
The independent, square motion pattern, while beneficial in its own right, enables another feature to be incorporated into the construction of the fluid control valve according to the present invention. This other feature includes creating different frictional forces for influencing the movement of the control lever. A higher frictional force influences the movement of the control arm in a first direction of motion. A lower or lighter frictional force influences the movement of the control arm in a second direction of motion. In the context of the present invention, the first direction of motion adjusts the water temperature and the second direction of motion adjusts the fluid flow rate. In this way, the “tendency” of the control arm, as it is manipulated by the user, is to more easily be moved to change the flow rate as contrasted to changing the temperature of the water. By creating a differential frictional force between the ON-OFF direction (i.e., flow rate) and the HOT-COLD direction (i.e., water temperature), a “memory” for the temperature position that was used last or a memory for a pre-selected temperature can be created.
Other innovative structural features according to the present invention are described herein. While each one is believed to be novel and unobvious, it is clear that their combination into a fluid control valve creates a unique structure.